The cost of the Ventra transit fare-collection system has climbed to above $500 million, a 14 percent increase since the Chicago Transit Authority signed the original contract in late 2011, according to records obtained by the Tribune.

Given a choice, a transit agency would rather deal with the challenges of ridership growth than a decline, and the Chicago Transit Authority faces the mixed blessing of both — with the added threat of $105 million in state funding cuts to the CTA...

A roughly 2 1/2-mile gap in CTA rail service that lasted 38 years on the Near South Side was eliminated Sunday, when Green Line trains started making stops at a station on Cermak Road near State Street.
The new $50 million Cermak-McCormick Place station...

Blue Line service resumes Monday at the CTA's Damen stop in Wicker Park after a $13.6 million station restoration that, viewed from the brick building's exterior, provides the most accurate depiction to date of what commuters first saw 119 years ago,...

If you were given an unlimited-use Ventra card for free, how often would you ride the CTA?
If you're CTA board chairman Terry Peterson, the answer would be 17 times in eight months. If you're veteran CTA board member Alejandro Silva, it would be five...

As the RedEye's CTA columnist for the past five years, I've spent an excessive amount of time riding buses and trains.
I have taken every bus line from start to finish and visited every rail station. Once I rode CTA trains for nine consecutive hours through every rail station in a feat called the "L" challenge.
Riders ask me if I have a favorite bus line or rail station, which I don't, but I have spots on the system I like to avoid for efficiency.
One of them is along my daily commute. I have been a...

Now departing: Disposable CTA cards.
This is the final weekend the CTA will accept disposable magnetic cards to pay for rides. Starting July 1, the agency will allow only Ventra, some personal bank cards, certain phones and cash (on buses) for fare payment.
This weekend may be one of the greatest tests of the 10-month transition to Ventra because Sunday is the Pride Parade in Lakeview. More than 1 million revelers attended the parade last year, many from out of town.
Also this weekend: Old St Pat'...

This ad from Democratic Cook County Assesor candidate Joe Berrios is insulting to the voter and assumes an utter lack of knowledge about the function of the office for which he is running. Under incumbent assessor (James) Houlihan, your home...

Former Chicago inspector general David Hoffman and former Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool (left), both well regarded figures in the political reform community on the left, endorsed Rahm Emanuel for mayor today (via Cap Fax). The momentum here is stri

Wednesday's print column expands on an earlier post here Robert Kelly was indignant: “Mr. Claypool says when we work our birthday, we get 21/2 times rate,” he said. “We don’t!” Kelly is president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308, which...

A roundup of state and local news-review and weekly political chat shows. Descriptions provided by the broadcast outlets in most cases: Connected to Chicago (mp3) (WLS-AM) Host Bill Cameron with Greg Hinz of Crains Chicago Business, Ray Long of the...